Saturday, December 6, 2014

Movie Review Madness: The Theory of Everything

Science and love are a strange combination for a movie, but
in the story of Dr. Stephen Hawking those are the themes. In the Theory
of Everything, Eddie Redmayne gives a tour de force performance (Oscar
worthy) as the brilliant man struck in his prime by ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease).
Holding her own is Felicity Jones, as Jane the precocious student flirting with
Hawking, seeing his kindness, and stepping up to admit love and seeking marriage.
He is fragile, his brain unlocking new physics theories as his body
deteriorates. She is fragile steel, the good woman behind a flawed man.

Together they strive in the academic world. She gives up a
lot, but stays stoic – helping him from canes to wheelchair to motorized chair
to a computer voiced machine. He can continue his work, the brain unraveling
theories about time – forward, backward, black holes, big bang theory, and the
element of God. The director does a good job of showing Hawking’s work and
discoveries without getting bogged down into too much deep material. We grasp
the import without sitting through a lecture. We also see the love and
struggles by Jane as she seeks help for Stephen and in raising their three
kids.

The caretaker issue is a tricky one navigated by many.
Jealousy can arise, lost hopes and dreams of normalcy cause frustration, and it
certainly tests a marriage. Watch the film to see what I mean. I don’t want to
give away more.

Needless to say, Stephen Hawking condemned to a two year
death sentence in 1963 is still alive at age 70+ . His spirit and brilliance
have inspired many, and advanced science. The Theory of Everything brings
his and Jane’s story to a wider audience. Love and science – a unique
combination and worthy tale.

Wordsplash Hodgepodge

Athletic Antics

About Me

Joanne Faries, originally from the Philadelphia area, lives in Texas with her husband Ray. She considers herself fortunate to be able to pursue a writing career after eons in the business world. Joanne enjoys reading and movies, and is the film critic for the Little Paper of San Saba.